Car dumper



A. F. CASE 2,082,942

CAR DUMPER June 8, 1937.

Filed June 29, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 I I 20 767 T16 19 1 S r T l I I x i I $191M w H 38-59 r76 3a N INVENTOR.

ARTHUR f: C435 mmm ATTORNEYS.

June 8, 1937. A. F. CASE 2,082,942

CAR DUMPER Filed June 29; 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ARI/1w? F C485 MMGQW ATTORNEYE June 8, 5 A 2,082,942

CAR DUMPER Filed June 29, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. ART/ UR f: C3435 ATTORNEY June 8, 193.7. F, CASE 2,082,942

CCCCCCC ER INVENTOR. ART/10 F 645; BY 7 m, Mam

ATTORNEYS Patented June 8, 1937 UN'iTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CAR 'DUMPER Application June 29, 1935, SerialNo.-29,121 16 Claims. (01.214-123) This invention relates to a car dumper and particularly toa car dumper of the lifting type. In car dumpers of the lifting type the car to be dumped is run onto the cradle when the latter 5 is in a position lower than the dumping point, after which the cradle with the car thereon is raised'to the desired dumping elevation, whereupon-it is rotated until the contents of the car are discharged over the side thereof into a suitable receptacle. Following the dumping-of the contents of the car the cradle is rotated in the reverse direction until the car is again in the upright position, whereupon the cradle is lowered to its original or car receiving position. The receptacle into which the contents of the car are dumped is known as a pan, and said pan is carried ordinarily by a pan girder which can be adjustably positioned vertically at various points of the dumper frame. The usual practice fol- 2O lowed in the construction of car dumpers of the lifting type is to employ suitable guides for the cradle, which maintain the cradle in its upright position until it has been hoisted to the predetermined and desired dumping point where the dumping rotationis to take place.

'The usual construction employs "hooks attached to the inner end of the pan orto the pan girder supporting the inner end of the pan, which hooks engage with pins attached to the cradle structure in such manner that when the pins carried by the cradle engage the hooks'the vertical hoist of the forward side of the cradle is stopped by such engagement, while the continued application of the cradle hoisting means acts only on the rear side of the cradle and causes the cradle to rotate about the pins as an axis, which rotation continues until the material in the car upon the cradle 'isdischarged by-gravity over the side of the car into the pan.. The use of the hooks and pins referred to has been a source of'difiiculty in the operation of car dumpers of the lifting type. The approach of the cradle to the .point where the pivot pins carried thereby engage with the hooks attached to the pan or to the pan girder, necessitates a careful manipulation and slowing down or deceleration of the cradle hoist to reduce the shock incident to such engagement.

The slowing down of the cradle hoist must be 50 followed by a subsequent acceleration thereof, so as to produce a rapid rotation of the cradle to discharge or dump the contents of the car into the pan. A principal object of the present invention is to'provide a construction fora car :dumper of theliftingtype, wherein the hooks and pins referred-to are eliminatedgtogether with their objectionable features and means is employed 'in place thereof which'eliminates the careful manipulation of the'cradlehoist mechanism as the cradle approaches the dumping point and does away with the necessity of decelerating or slowing-down said mechanismat such time.

In the ordinary constructionof car dumpers of the -liftingtype the cradle hoist ropes have no connection with the pan girder, but said ropes pass over sheaves at the top of the dumper frame 'structure at a point approximately over the front of thecradlefrom which point they pass around sheaves carried by suitable means such as 'I-bars'attached to the cradle, wherefore it is necessary to provide a wide spread for these ropes to allow the car on the cradle to pass between them "when the cradle turns to dumping position.

A furtherprincipal object of the present invention is to provide acar dumper construction of the lifting type, wherein there are no cradle hoist ropes at the front of' the cradle'to interfere with the dumping of the car, and hence it is not necessary to provide a wide spread for the cradle hoist ropes.

The conventional construction for car dumpers of the lifting type employs a complicated reeving-o'f the cradle hoist ropes and the use of multiple sheaves with the result that the hoist ropes must be relatively long and are subjected to much wear, while the drums upon which the hoist ropes are wound have to -have considerable length 'to accommodate the take-up necessary for thelong hoist ropes.

'A further object of the present invention is to provide-a construction for a car dumper of the liftingtypa'wherein the reevingof thecradle hoist ropes is such as to require a minimum amount of rope.

Another object is to .provide a construction for a cardumper of the lifting type wherein all reverse bends are avoided in the reeving of the cradle hoist ropes.

A further object isto provide a .car dumper of the :lifting type which is more eflicient in operation.

Another object is toprovide a car dumper of the lifting type, wherein themaintenance costs are lower, due to the fact that a lesser number of sheavesand shorter cradle hoist ropes are required than isthe casein car dumpers of this type as previously constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a car dumper construction of the lifting type means for coordinating the cradle hoist mechanism and the pan girder adjusting mechanism.

A further object is to provide a car dumper of the lifting type wherein the usual motor for actuating the pan girder adjusting mechanism is eliminated, thus simplifying and lessening the cost of the electrical construction of the dumper.

Further and additional objects and advantages not hereinbefore specifically enumerated will become apparent hereinafter during the detailed description of an embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevational and somewhat diagrammatic view of a car dumper of the lifting type, the cradle of the dumper being shown in full lines in car receiving positiomand indot and dash lines in car dumping position and in a position intermediate car receiving position and car dumping position, the car clamps being omitted in this view, since they form no part of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational View of the cradle and pan girder shown in Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale, and is taken looking from the right hand side of said figure;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the cradle and pan girder shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view takensubstantially on line 55 of Fig. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 6-6 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. '7 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 7-! of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, the cradle being shown in full lines in car receiving position and in dot and dash lines in the position it assumes just prior to the turning of the cradle to dump the contents of the car thereon, and. I

Fig. 8 is a top plan view of the car dumper frame shown in Fig. 1 and illustrates the hoist mechanism for the cradle and the driving mechanism for the pan girder screws.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the car dumper is shown as comprising a tower l0, formed of suitable structural members and having a vertically movable tiltable cradle l I arranged therein and slidable along suitable vertical guides l2 formed on the main frame post 13 of the tower and engaged by shoes M'mounted on cross-heads l carried by the cradle frame l6 and connected to the cradle counterweight ropes H, as is well understood in the art (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4) The vertical hoist movement of the cradle is effected by means of cradle hoist ropes l8, as shown in Fig. 1 and which will later be referred to. The cradle H is provided with a platen l9 having tracks thereon to receive a car 2!], such platen preferably being shiftable laterally by suitable means to cause the car to be moved over beneath the car clamps on the dumping side of the cradle (such clamps not being shown as they are well known in the art) and to engage a bumper at such side as the cradle starts to turn and to restore the platen to center position at the end of the return movement of the cradle after the dumping operation. The cradle l I is arranged to be first hoisted vertically to the desired dumping point and then to be rotated about a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of the cradle, so that the material in the car on the cradle will be discharged over the side of the car and into the pan 2| which is carried by a vertically adjustable pan girder 22, as is well understood in the art, such pan girder being illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 as adjustable by means of vertically extending screws 23 which pass through nuts fixedly mounted in the pan girder and extend upwardly to the top of the tower and to which reference will be made hereinafter. As stated, the point where the vertical hoisting of the cradle terminates and its dumping rotation commences is governed by the position to which the pan girder has been ad-' justed in accordance with different operating conditions.

Heretofore in car dumpers of the lifting type the dumping rotation of the cradle has been accomplished by the engagement of pivot pins carried by the cradle with suitable hooks arranged on the vertically adjustable pan girder. As the vertically moving cradle approaches the dumping point the pins engage the hooks on the pan girder and the further operation of the cradle hoisting ropes causes the cradle to swing about the pins as axes to dump the contents of the car. This conventional arrangement requires a slowing down or deceleration of the cradle hoisting mechanism as the cradle approaches car dumping position in order to lessen the shock incident to the engagement of the pivot pins on the cradle with the hooks on the pan girder. It has been necessary in the prior constructions that the operator carefully manipulate the cradle hoisting mechanism so as to decelerate the same at the proper time in order to avoid the severe shocks which would otherwise be imparted to the cradle and the pan girder when the pivot pins engage the hooks. This fact has necessarily slowed down the operation of the car dumper and has thus decreased the efiiciency thereof.

The present invention contemplates a construction for a car dumper of the lifting type, wherein the objectionable features incident to the use of the hooks on the pan girder and the pins on the cradle for causing the turning movement of the cradle are eliminated.

The pan girder 22 has secured thereto and preferably adjacent its opposite ends upwardly and rearwardly extending brackets 24 arranged in two pairs and overlying the front side of the cradle (see particularly Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5). The pairs of brackets 2 have secured therein pivot pins 25 upon which are pivotally mounted depending cradle connecting members now to be explained. Two connecting members are illustrated herein and each comprises acentral downwardly extending strut 26 formed of suitable structural metallic elements, while a cross member 21 also formed of suitable structural metallic elements is secured to the strut 26 intermediate the ends thereof but more nearly adjacent the upper end of the strut and in a position wherein the front side of the cross member will abut with the rear side of the upper end of the pan girder when the strut 26 is depending vertically, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The cross-member 21 has its opposite ends secured to reenforcing angle brackets 28, which extend from the cross member and are connected to the strut 25 so as to provide a rigid structure and a braced interconnection between the strut 26 and the cross member 21. The opposite ends of the cross-member 2'! on its' rear side are provided with bearing pads 29 later to be referred to. The lower end of the strut 26 is provided on its opposite sides with laterally extending foot portions 38, while just above such foot portions a shaft 3| is mounted in the strut member and extends transversely thereof and carries on its opposite ends guide rollers 32 which are adapted'to engage and roll on a portion of the cradle frame as will later be explained.

Each strut member adjacentits upper end has mounted therein a relatively large pin 33, extending in a direction transverse to the pivot pin 25 and carrying an equalizer bar 34 which extends in a plane substantially parallel to the crossmember 21 and to the pan girder 22. The opposite ends of the equalizer bar 34 have pivotally secured thereto the clevises at one end of equalizer links 35, the opposite ends of which links are pivotally connected to equalizer plates 36 extending in a direction transverse to the equalizer bar 3t and located on opposite sides of the strut 26, see Fig. 4.

The equalizer plates 36 on each side of thestrut 26 have pivotally connected thereto, adjacent their opposite ends, the upper ends of downwardly extending adjustable I-bars 31, it being noted that there are two of the I-barsii'i on each side of each strut 25. The lower ends of the I-bars 31 have secured thereto, in any well known mannor, the ends of the cradle hoist ropes l8, wherefore it will be seen that since there is a strut 26 adjacent each end of the front side of the cradle, there are four of the cradle hoist ropes at each end of the cradle, and that these ropes are connected in pairs to the equalizer plates 36, which plates, in turn, are connected to the opposite ends of the equalizer bar 3 5, wherefore each equalizer bar 3 has four cradle hoist ropes operatively connected thereto. The eight cradle hoist ropes l8 pass through suitable openings in the foot portions 38 at the lower end of the struts 26, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 4, and thence around suitable multiple grooved sheaves 38 and 39 located on the under side of the cradle with the sheaves 38 adjacent the front or dumping side of the cradle and the sheaves 39 adjacent the rear side thereof. The ropes it pass around the sheaves 39 and upwardly through the tower at the rear side of the cradle to suitable hoisting drums 4!] located on the top of the tower and later to be referred to.

The cradle frame it adjacent the front or dumping side and the opposite ends of the cradle has formed therein recesses 4| into which the struts 26 and the equalizing bars and plates and the I-bars 3! extend when the cradle approaches car dumping position.

Referring to Fig. '7, it will be noted that the cradle ii is shown in full lines in car receiving position and in dot and dash lines in the position it assumes just prior to its turning or dumping movement and wherein the struts 26 and their associated parts have entered the recesses 41 in the cradle frame.

When the struts 26 enter the recesses Al in the cradle frame, the guide rollers 32 carried by the struts engage and roll along the cradle frame within the recesses M, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 7, until the struts have been fully positioned within the recesses and relative movement between the cradle and the struts ceases, at which time bearing pads 42 fixed on the cradle frame come into engagement and bear against the bear ing pads 29 mounted on the rear side and at the opposite ends of the cross members 21, while the lower ends cof thestruts .26 engage suitable spring buffers 43 mounted at the bottoms of the recessesdl in the cradle frame and act to absorb and lessen the shock incident to the engagement of the strut members in the recesses in the cradle frame. The struts 28 are shorter than the distance between the pins 25 and the sheaves 38 on the underside of the front of the cradle during the turning movement of the latter, wherefore when the struts are in the recesses AI in the cradle frame they are held therein by the pull of the cradle hoisting ropes it, so that the fully interengaged relationship between the struts and the cradle is maintained.

Assuming the cradle II to be in car receiving position, that is in the full line position as shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the lower ends of struts 26 carried by the brackets 24 which are secured to the pan girder terminate a substantial distance above the upper ends of the cradle frame at the front or dumping side of the cradle.

It will be seen that as the cradle hoist mechanism is operated the cradle hoist ropes I8 raise the cradle toward car dumping position, and as the cradle approaches the struts 26 the latter enter the recesses M in the cradle frame until the continued upward or vertical movement of the cradle finally positions the struts 26 fully within the recesses with the lower ends of the struts in engagement with the spring buffers 43 carried by the cradle frame and with the bearing pads 42 and 29 contacting each other, at which time the dumping operation is to commence. It will be noted that when the struts 26 enter the recesses ii in the cradle frame they, in effect, become part of the cradle and the dumping rotation of the cradle is effected somewhat in the manner of the ordinary turn-over type of car dumper, since the cradle hoist ropes l8 during the continued operation of the cradle hoist mechanism do not further raise the cradle vertically, but act on the rear side of the cradle to swing the same about the pivot pins 25 as an axis to a point where the contents of the car on the cradle are discharged by gravity over the side edge of the car.

It will be obvious that when the contents of the car have been discharged and the cradle hoist mechanism is operated in the reverse direction, that the cradle will swing by gravity downwardly about the pivot pins 25 as an axis until it reaches its upright position in the tower of the dumper, after which continued operation of the hoisting mechanism in the reverse direction effects a lowering of the cradle, a withdrawal of the struts 26 from the recesses 4! in the cradle frame and finally a positioning of the cradle in car receiving position.

The construction hereinbefore described is such that by the time the cradle reaches car dumping position it has been operatively united to the pan girder through the engagement of the struts 26 in the recesses ll in the cradle frame, wherefore it is not necessary for the operator to carefully manipulate the cradle hoisting mechanism to decelerate the vertical movement of the cradle as it approaches car dumping position and to then accelerate said mechanism to cause a rapid rotation of the cradle to dump the contents of the car.

The cradle in a car dumper employing the hereinbefore described construction can be rapidly raised to the dumping point and turned at said point to dump the car thereon with the cradle hoisting mechanism operating at substantially constant speed for both the vertical movement and the rotating movement of the cradle, thus necessitating a minimum amount of manipulation on the part of the operator and resulting in a speeding up of the dumping operation with a consequent increase in the efficiency of the car dumper. Although there will be some shock incident to the struts 25 arriving at fully inserted position in the recesses M in the cradle frame, the spring buffers 43 at the bottom of said recesses will be sufficient to absorb such shock and thus eliminate severe wear upon the different parts of the cradle and the dumper frame. Inasmuch as the struts 26 and the pivot pins 25 are carried by the vertically adjustable pan girder, it will be obvious that the dumping point for the cradle can be readily varied to suit different operating requirements and. without altering the manner in which the construction functions.

As previously pointed out in the conventional car dumper of the lifting type, the cradle hoist ropes do not have any connection with the pan girder but pass over sheaves at the topof the dumper tower at points approximately over the front of the cradle, and from there they pass around sheaves carried by I-bars attached to the front side of the cradle, wherefore it is necessary to provide a wide spread or separation for these cradle hoist ropes at the front side of the cradle in order to allow the car on the cradle to pass between the hoist ropes during the dumping operation. This arrangement involves a complicated rope reeving with reverse bends in the ropes, the use of multiple sheaves and long ropes, and results in considerable wear on the ropes as well as requiring relatively long hoisting drums to accommodate the rope take-up.

It will be noted that employing the present construction wherein the cradle hoist ropes iii are connected to the Dan girder through the I-bars 3'! and the equalizing plates and bars carried by the struts 26 and thence pass downwardly through the cradle frame and around the sheaves 38 and 39 and upwardly to the hoisting drums 45 on the top of the dumper tower, that that are no cradle hoist ropes at the front side of the cradle to interfere with the dumping operation, and hence it is not necessary to provide such a wide spread for the cradle hoist ropes as in the conventional forms of car dumpers of the lifting type.

Furthermore, since the cradle hoist ropes pass from their connection to the pan girder beneath the cradle and thence to the hoisting drums, there is required a rope reeving of the maximum simplicity wherein reverse bends are eliminated and the hoisting ropes may be of minimum length and will require only relatively short hoisting drums inasmuch as there is a small amount of V rope take-up necessary in operating the car dumper. Because of the simplicity of the reeving of the cradle hoisting ropes in the construction employed in the present invention, the cradle hoisting mechanism may be expeditiously located upon the top of the dumper tower, and such mechanism can be of the extreme in simplicity.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings there is illustrated the cradle hoisting mechanism and also the mechanism for operating the pan girder adjusting screws 23. The mechanisms referred to are located on top of the dumper tower, and the eradle hoisting mechanism comprises drums 45 around which pass the four cradle hoisting ropes l8 at each end of the cradle, which drums are driven by driving motors 44 through suitable driving connections comprising pinions 45 on the motor shafts which mesh with gears 46 secured to shafts 4'! that carry at their opposite ends pinions 48 which, in turn, mesh with gears 49 secured to one end of countershafts 50 having fixed to their opposite ends pinions 5| which mesh with large gears 52 secured to the shafts for the drums 49. The shafts 41 are interconnected through suitable connections by a shaft 41a, upon which is located an emergency brake 41b. counterweight ropes 53 are secured to the drums 40 and pass therefrom toward the rear of the dumper and around suitable sheaves 5 5 and thence downwardly to counterweights 55.

Inasmuch as the cradle hoist ropes l8 pass beneath the cradle and are connected to the pan girder 22, it is desirable that means be provided to coordinate the cradle hoisting mechanism with the pan girder adjusting mechanism, since when the pan girder is adjusted upwardly it will pull upwardly on the cradle hoist ropes and, assuming the cradle hoist drums to be stationary, the cradle would be raised a distance corresponding to one-half the upward movement of the pan girder. Therefore it is proposed to provide means whereby when the pan girder is raised vertically the cradle hoist ropes will be paid off the drum to compensate for the upward movement of the pan girder, so that the cradle will not move upwardly from its car receiving position, and conversely when the pan girder is lowered the slack in the cradle hoist ropes will be taken up in an amount equal to the distance through which the pan girder is lowered.

In accomplishing the ends just specified the shafts of the cradle hoisting motors 44 have a driving connection with shafts 56, which connection includes shiftable clutches indicated in their entirety at 51, and preferably being actuated electrically by means of solenoids as is well understood in the art. The shafts 56 have fixed thereto bevel gears 51 which mesh with bevel gears 58 fixed on shafts 59 extending perpendicularly from the shafts 55 and having fixed thereon at their outer ends bevel gears 60 meshing with bevel gears 5| fixed on the upper ends of the pan girder adjusting screws 23.

When the clutches 51 are actuated to efiect a driving relationship between the motor shafts and the shafts 56, it will be seen that through the gearing and shafting just described the adjusting screws 23 will be rotated in a direction so as to move the pan girder upwardly or downwardly depending upon the direction of operation of the motors 44. The gearing between the motor shafts and the hoisting drums ll and between the shafts 56 and the adjusting screws is in such ratio that when both the adjusting screws and the drums 20 are being driven by the motors is the cradle hoist ropes will be paid off or taken up at the same speed that the adjusting screws hoist or lower the pan girder, and it will further be noted that the driving connections between the drums 50 and the motors and between the adjusting screws 23 and the motors is such that when the drums 40 are turning in a direction to pay off the hoisting ropes, the screws 23 are turning so as to elevate the pan girder, while when the drums 40 are turning to take up the hoisting ropes the screws 23 are turning to lower the pan girder.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that the position of the pan girder may be turning movement of thecra'dle to operativelyadjusted without affecting the cradle, since. the cradle hoisting ropes will be paid off'or taken up upon the drums 40 in amounts equal to the vertical adjusting movements of the pan girder. It will also be noted that the cradle hoist motors are employed to change the elevation ofthe pan girder, and hence the separate motor usually employed for this purpose iseliminated.

When the clutches 57 are disengaged so that the shafts 56 are not being driven by the motors 44, suitable automatic electrically operated brakes, indicated in their entirety at 62 and acting upon the shafts 59 may be employed to stop further movement of the adjusting screws 23. Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described herein, it will be understood that the invention is susceptible of various modifications and adaptations within the scope of the appended claims;

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle, a pan girder, pivoted means associated with the pan girder and normally depending vertically of the dumper tower, and means on said cradle cooperating with said pivoted means during the turning movement of the cradle to operatively connect it with the said girder.

2. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle,

a pan girder, means spaced longitudinally of the pan girder and pivotally connected thereto and normally depending vertically therefrom, and means on said cradle and cooperating with said first means during the turning movement of the cradle to operatively connect the cradle and pan girder with the pivotal axis of said first means forming the axis for the turning movement of the cradle.

3. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle, a pan girder, cooperating means on the pan girder and cradle for operatively connecting the same during the turning movement of the cradle, one part of said means being pivotally connected with the pan girder, and cradle hoist ropes connected to said part of said means and extending beneath the cradle and upwardly of the rear side thereof. i

4. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle, a pan girder, pivoted means associated with the pan girder and normally depending vertically of the dumper tower, means on said cradle cooperating with said pivoted means during the turning movement of the cradle to operatively connect it with said girder, and cradle hoist ropes operatively connected with said pivoted means and extending therefrom beneath the cradle and upwardly of the rear side thereof.

5. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle, a pan girder, spaced pivoted means associated with the pan girder and normally depending vertically of the dumper tower, equalizing members carried by said means, means on said cradle coopcrating with said pivoted means during the turning movement of the cradle to operatively connect it with said girder, and cradle hoist ropes extending downwardly of the dumper tower at the rear of the cradle and beneath the latter and upwardly of the front side thereof toward said girder with a plurality of said ropes connected to each of said equalizing members.

6. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle. a pan girder, spaced pivoted means associated with the pan girder and normally depending vertically of the dumper tower, equalizing members carried by said means, means on said cradle co" operating with said pivoted means during the nism downwardly of the rear sideof the cradle" and beneath the same and thence upwardly to Ward said girder, and equalizing means connected with said pan girder adjacent the ends thereof and each connected to-a plurality of hoist ropes. I

8. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a pan girder, means pivotally connected with the pan girder and normally depending vertically of the dumper tower, and a cradle having its frame at the front side thereof provided with a recess, said means and said recess being in vertical alignment and cooperating during the turning movement of the cradle to operatively connect the cradle and pan girder.

9. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a pan girder, means pivotally connected with the pan girder and normally depending vertically of the dumper tower, a cradle having its frame at the front side thereof provided with a vertically extending recess, and a spring buffer arranged at the bottom of said recess, said means being adapted to enter said recess during the lifting movement of the cradle with its lower end engaging said buffer and cooperating therewith during the turning movement of the cradle to operatively connect it with the pan girder, the pivotal axis of said means forming the axis for said turning movement of the cradle.

10. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a pan girder, a strut pivotally connected with said girder on an axis extending longitudinally of the latter, and a cradle having a frame provided at the front of the cradle with a vertical recess aligned with said strut.

11. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a pan girder, a strut pivotally connected with said girder on an axis extending longitudinally of the latter, a cradle having a frame provided at the front of the cradle with a vertical recess aligned with said strut and adapted to receive the same as said cradle approaches turning position, a sheave mounted beneath said cradle adjacent the lower end of said recess, a cradle hoist rope passingbeneathsaid cradle around said sheave upwardly through said recess and connected to said strut, the distance between the pivotal axis of the strut and the axis of said sheave when the strut is positioned in the recess being greater than the length of the strut.

12. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a pan girder, a strut pivotally connected with the pan girder on an axis extending longitudinally thereof, said strut being provided with a cross member extending longitudinally of the girder and adapted to normally bear against the rear side thereof, and a cradle having a frame provided with a recess adapted to receive said strut as said cradle is raised to operatively connect the cradle and girder during the turning movement of the latter.

13. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a pan girder, means pivotally connected with the pan girder on an axis extending longitudinally thereof, an equalizer member pivotally mounted on said means on an axis transverse to the axis of said means, a cradle, means on said cradle cooperating with said first named means to opera- 5 tively connect said cradle and girder during the turning movement of the former, and a plurality of cradle hoist ropes extending beneath said cradle and upwardly of the front side thereof and connected to said equalizer member.

10 14. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle, a pan girder, cradle hoist ropes operatively connected with said pan girder and extending therefrom downwardly beneath the cradle. and thence upwardly of the dumper at the rear of 15 the cradle, means for adjusting said pan girder, and means for paying oil or taking up said cradle hoist ropes simultaneously with the adjustment of the pan girder to compensate for the movements of the latter.

20 15. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a

cradle, a pan girder, cradle hoist ropes operatively connected with said pan girder, a drum upon which said ropes are wound, means for vertically adjusting said pan girder, a motor for operating said drum, and means for selectively and operatively driving said pan girder adjusting means from said motor while simultaneously operating said drum therefrom.

16. In a car dumper of the lifting type, a cradle, a pan girder, cradle hoist ropes connected with said pan girder, a drum upon which said ropes are wound, means for vertically adjusting said pan girder, a motor, a driving connection between said drum and motor, and a driving connection between said pan girder adjusting means and said motor, said connections being so designed that said drum rotates while said girder is being adjusted at a speed such as to pay off or take up the hoist ropes in amounts equal to the distance of the vertical adjustment of the girder.

ARTHUR F. CASE. 

